NCAA Puts Minnesota Hoops on Probation

The Minnesota men’s basketball program was
placed on four years probation and stripped of five scholarships
today for what the NCAA termed “academic fraud” and some of
“the most serious” rules violations in two decades.

The Golden Gophers will not be banned from another year of
postseason play, although that was “seriously considered,”
according to an NCAA news release obtained by The Associated Press.

University officials had hoped to avoid such a ban.

In addition, three former university employees, including former
coach Clem Haskins, will have to come before the NCAA infractions
committee if they want to return to college sports. For Haskins,
that “show cause” period is seven years.

The scholarship reduction is spread over three years.

The committee agreed with the university’s conclusions that from
1994 to 1998, a former tutor did some 400 pieces of coursework for
at least 18 men’s basketball student-athletes.

“The violations were significant, widespread and intentional,”
the NCAA said in its release. “More than that, their nature —
academic fraud — undermined the bedrock foundation of a university
and the operation of its intercollegiate athletics program.”

The punishment from the NCAA was first reported Monday night by
the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune of Minneapolis,
and later confirmed to the AP by a school official, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity.

The NCAA planned formal release of the report later today.

Coursework Done for 18 Ball Players

The scandal broke in March 1999, when former tutor and office
manager Jan Gangelhoff came forward with her story of helping
athletes cheat.

The NCAA commended Minnesota for its investigation and
comprehensive self-punishment, which included an offer to repay 90
percent of its money for playing in the 1994, 1995 and 1997 NCAA
basketball tournaments, or about $350,000.

But the NCAA ordered that team records from the NCAA tournament
and National Invitation Tournament — and the tournament records of
players who engaged in academic fraud from 1993-94 through 1998-99
— be erased.

Haskins, who accepted a $1.5 million buyout to leave the school
several months after Gangelhoff came forward, also will have those
tournament victories and any mention of the Final Four appearance
erased from his record.

The infractions committee’s report found that Gangelhoff, a
former office manager in the university’s academic counseling unit,
completed coursework for at least 18 basketball players — and that
former academic adviser Alonzo Newby arranged the work with
Haskins’ knowledge.

Newby and Gangelhoff also must go before the infractions
committee if they want to return to college athletics, Newby for
the next seven years and Gangelhoff for the next five, according to
the news release.

Attorneys for Haskins and Newby did not immediately return phone
calls this morning. A woman who answered the phone at Haskins’
Kentucky ranch said he did not want to comment. Gangelhoff’s
attorney, Jim Lord, said she would decide later today whether to
comment. Lord said he had seen the NCAA report but would not
discuss the contents until it was officially released.

Breadth of On-Campus Fraud

Minnesota officials highlighted the school’s self-sanctions in
April at a hearing before the NCAA infractions committee, and
pointed out that ties were severed to most of the people closely
linked to the scandal.

The NCAA committee has weighed those facts against what has been
called one of the most serious cases of academic fraud in recent
history.

Other high-profile penalties handed down in the past 10 or 15
years — such as sanctions against UNLV, Kansas and Kentucky — dealt
mostly with recruiting violations. The Minnesota case is rare for
the scope of the on-campus fraud.

Second-year coach Dan Monson compared waiting for the NCAA
decision to being like a child waiting for the spanking he’ll get
when his father gets home.

Scandal Hurts Recruiting

But the scandal has been more than frustrating for Monson and
other Minnesota officials. It has hurt recruiting.

Center Rick Rickert of Duluth, Minnesota’s top high-school
prospect and one of the nation’s top recruits, delayed announcing
his college choice until Wednesday. He was considering Minnesota
and Arizona.

In March 1999, the day before the Gophers started play in the
NCAA tournament, the Pioneer Press reported that Gangelhoff
admitted writing papers for players.

The story prompted a nine-month, $2.2 million investigation by
the university. Federal prosecutors are still looking into the
case.

Minnesota and the NCAA allege that Newby steered players to
Gangelhoff and that Haskins rewarded her. Investigators also say
that Newby helped get grades or classes changed to keep several
players eligible and that Haskins told players to lie after the
story broke.

Haskins admitted — after several denials — that he paid
Gangelhoff $3,000 cash to tutor a student after she was ordered to
stay away from the team. Minnesota is suing to retrieve the $1.5
million buyout given Haskins, claiming he broke school and NCAA
rules and violated his contract when he admitted paying Gangelhoff.